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AP Psychology > Unit 4: Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Unit 4: Sensation and Perception Flashcards

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1
Q

What form does Light take?

A

Waves.

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2
Q

Frequency

A

The distance between each hill found in Light Waves.

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3
Q

Amplitude

A

The height of each hill found in Light Waves.

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4
Q

Cornea

A

The clear curved structure that light must pass through first.

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5
Q

Pupil

A

The opening in the center of the
iris through which light enters the eye.

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6
Q

Lens

A

The transparent eye structure that focuses light rays falling on the retina.

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7
Q

Iris

A

The muscle that controls the opening of the Pupil.

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8
Q

Retina

A

Neural tissue lining the inside back surface of the eye; it absorbs light, processes images, and send visual information to the brain.

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9
Q

Cones

A

Specialized visual receptors that play a key role in daylight vision and color vision.

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10
Q

Fovea

A

The area at the center of
retina that is predominately cones.

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11
Q

Rods

A

Specialized visual receptors that play a key role in night vision and peripheral vision.

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12
Q

Optic Disc

A

A hole in the retina where the optic nerve fibers exit the eye to the brain. “The Blind Spot.”

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13
Q

Dark Adaptation

A

The process in which the eyes become more sensitive to light in low illumination.

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14
Q

Light Adaptation

A

The process of eyes becoming less sensitive to light in high illumination.

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15
Q

Receptive Fields

A

The area of space in which a receptor can respond to a stimulus.

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16
Q

Lateral Antagonism

A

Occurs when neural activity in a cell opposes activity surrounding cells.

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17
Q

Optic Chiasm

A

Optic nerves from the inside half of each eye cross over and then to the opposite half of brain.

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18
Q

Superior Colliculus

A

Coordination of visual input with other sensory input.

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19
Q

Feature Detectors

A

Neurons that respond selectively to very specific features of more complex stimuli.

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20
Q

Parallel Processing

A

The processing of many aspects simultaneously.

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21
Q

What Pathway

A

(Temporal area) Helps with recognition of objects like faces (ex. visual agnosia).

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22
Q

Where Pathway

A

(Parietal area) Where objects are located (ex. visual neglect).

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23
Q

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)

A

A part of the thalamus in the brain that acts as a relay station, receiving visual information from the retina and transmitting it to the primary visual cortex for processing.

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24
Q

Ganglion Cells

A

Specialized neurons located in the retina at the back of the eye. They receive signals from Bipolar Cells.

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25
Q

Bipolar Cells

A

Cells in the visual system that connect the photoreceptors (rods and cones) to the Ganglion Cells.

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26
Q

Absolute Threshold

A

The smallest amount of energy that will produce a sensation. The probably of detection is 50%.

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27
Q

Just Noticeable Difference (JND)

A

How much change must take place to detect a change in the stimulus.

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28
Q

Weber’s Law

A

The larger or stronger a stimulus, the larger the change required for an observer to notice.

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29
Q

Subliminal Stimulation or Perception

A

Stimuli that is presented as below the threshold but still have an influence on behavior and/or thought.

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30
Q

Sensory Adaptation

A

When your senses adjust themselves to a constant level of stimulation.

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31
Q

Photoreceptors

A

Cells located in the Retina that convert light energy into neural impulses, allowing the brain to process visual information.

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32
Q

Nearsighted

A

A condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because distant objects focus in front of the retina.

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33
Q

Farsighted

A

A condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the images of near objects is focused behind the retina.

34
Q

Trichromatic Theory

A

The belief that the human eye has three types of receptors that can perceive color, the three main colors are red, green, and blue.

35
Q

Opponent-Process Theory

A

The belief that color perception depends on receptors that make antagonistic responses to 3 different pairs of colors: Red vs. Green, Yellow vs. Blue, and Black vs. White.

36
Q

Dichromatism

A

A condition in which one of the patient’s three color receptors do not function, leading to color blindness.

37
Q

Monochromatism

A

A condition in which two of the patient’s three color receptors do not function, leading to color blindness.

38
Q

Blindsight

A

A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.

39
Q

Prosopagnosia

A

A condition in which the individual is unable to use facial recognition to recognize familiar faces around them.

40
Q

Pitch

A

The ability to perceive and distinguish different frequencies of sound.

41
Q

Timbre

A

The quality or texture of sound, what makes a sound unique to a person or instrument even when playing the same note.

42
Q

Sound Localization

A

The ability of an organism to discover the location of something producing sound waves based on things like intensity and timing.

43
Q

Cochlea

A

A fluid-filled, coiled tunnel with hearing receptors.

44
Q

Basilar Membrane (Hair Cells)

A

Receive the waves and convert them into a neural impulse, which is received by the auditory nerve.

45
Q

Auditory Nerve

A

A bundle of nerve fibers that carry sound signals from the cochlea in the inner ear to the brain for processing.

46
Q

Place Theory

A

The belief that perception of pitch corresponds to the vibration of different proportions, or places, along the basilar membrane.

47
Q

Frequency Theory

A

The belief that perception of pitch corresponds to the rate, or frequency, at which the entire basilar membrane vibrates.

48
Q

Volley Theory

A

The belief that groups of neurons can work together to perceive sounds at frequencies beyond their individual firing rates.

49
Q

Conductive Deafness

A

Deafness caused by damage to the eardrum or ossicles.

50
Q

Sensorineural Deafness

A

Deafness caused by damage to the inner ear, most prominently hair cells or the auditory nerve.

51
Q

The 4 primary types of touch receptors

A
  1. Hot
  2. Cold
  3. Pain
  4. Pressure
52
Q

Gate Control Theory

A

The belief that physical pain is not a direct result of activated pain receptor neurons but rather is perceived.

53
Q

Phantom Limb Syndrome

A

A condition where the brain reorganizes sensory signals after the amputation of a limb.

54
Q

Vestibular System

A

A part of the inner eat that contains 3 fluid-filled semicircular canals, providing a sense of balance by detecting the motion of the skull.

55
Q

The 5 primary taste receptors

A
  1. Sweet
  2. Sour
  3. Salty
  4. Bitter
  5. Umami
56
Q

Supertaster

A

An individual that has four times the normal amount of taste buds and are therefore more sensitive to sweet & bitter.

57
Q

Taste Receptors

A

Sensory cells located in the taste buds on our tongues that allow us to perceive different tastes.

58
Q

Pheromones

A

Chemicals secreted by animals to send signals, primarily for sex, trailing/following, and to act as an alarm.

59
Q

Synesthesia

A

A condition in which stimulation of one sense generates a simultaneous sensation in another.

60
Q

Perceptual Set

A

A readiness to perceive a stimulus in a particular way.

61
Q

Bottom-Up Processing

A

Progression of individual elements to the whole (unfamiliar processing).

62
Q

Top-Down Processing

A

A progression from the whole to its elements.

63
Q

Perceptual Constancy

A

The ability to adjust to objects as they come closer (know they are the same).

64
Q

Phi Phenomenon

A

An optical illusion that causes one to see several still images in a series as moving.

65
Q

Motion Parallax

A

The apparent movement of objects when you (or another object) are actually moving.

66
Q

Proximity

A

Objects that are close to each other seem to belong together.

67
Q

Similarity

A

The brain tends to group objects that are alike.

68
Q

Figure-Ground Relationship

A

The brain uses visual cues to set off a form from its background.

69
Q

Closure

A

When we see an unfinished form the brain fills in the gaps to finish the form.

70
Q

Visual Cliff Experiment

A

A research method used to study depth perception in infants and animals.

71
Q

Monocular Cues

A

Visual cues that allow us to perceive depth using only one eye.

72
Q

Relative Clearness

A

The farther away an object the less clear it appears to be.

73
Q

Relative Size

A

The depth cue in which we perceive distance based on the comparison of sizes between objects.

74
Q

Overlay/Interposition

A

An object that obscures part of another object, appears to be closer.

75
Q

Relative Clarity

A

The perceptual cue where objects that appear sharp and clear are perceived as closer than hazy or blurry objects, which are seen as farther away.

76
Q

Linear Perspective

A

Objects that form parallel lines appear to come together as they move farther away from us.

77
Q

Texture Gradients

A

Small objects that are more thickly clustered appear farther away than objects that are spread out in space.

78
Q

Retinal Disparity

A

Objects are represented on different parts of the retina in the left and right visual field (closer than 25 feet).

79
Q

Convergence

A

Crossing your eyes as objects come closer.

80
Q

Binocular Vision

A

Overlapping visual fields create the element of depth.

AP Psychology (8 decks)

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